Only a couple of weeks after the Jewish Chronicle was found to have been allowing the BNP’s candidate for the London Mayoralty to have a blog on its site,  the Jewish Chronicle has a new hate blog on its site, this time mocking a former kidnap victim, John McCarthy, who was captured in Lebanon.

But if the excuse last time was that the JC had an open blog policy (despite banning people like myself!) what is the excuse this time for having a blogger who declares that he would ‘have no problem’ standing with the EDL.  Under ex-Express editor Stephen Pollard, the JC has been dragged even further to the right and finds it difficult to exclude on grounds of anti-Semitism those with whom it has so much else in common.

Tony Greenstein

Ben White on Fri 05/04/2012

UK newspaper The Jewish Chronicle (The JC), a publication well known for its attacks on pro-Palestinian solidarity activists, has published a blog mocking a former hostage.

Under the title ‘John McCarthy: Now where’s that radiator?’ a blogger called Melchett Mike expressed his unhappiness with the British journalist’s new book, concluding: “we can only be sorry that he is not still there [chained to a radiator]” – a reference to McCarthy’s five years in captivity after being kidnapped in Lebanon in the 1980s.

It turns out that this particular blogger, Melchett Mike, has also previously expressed support for Islamophobic hate group the English Defence League (EDL). Commenting on another blog run by pro-Israel activist Richard Millett in 2010, he said:

‘I’d have no problem standing with the EDL… In fact, I’m surprised there aren’t more Brits demonstrating against Islamofascists.’

It was only recently that The JC was embarrassed by revelations that the far-right British National Party (BNP)’s candidate for London mayor had been posting blogs on their website. In a fumbled damage limitation exercise, Editor Stephen Pollard claimed he had blocked the BNP activist’s access in September – yet refused to explain how a further post was published in November.

Pollard was right to point out that the BNP politician was taking advantage of an open access blog hosting policy, where anyone could register and post. However, since that no longer exists, Melchett “I’d have no problem standing with the EDL” Mike is presumably an approved, invited blogger.

That Pollard is happy to oversee a publication hosting such posts is sadly not so surprising. Last year, The JC Editor stood by a columnist who expressed “pleasure” at the killing in Gaza of Italian human rights activist Vittorio Arrigoni.